But Silcox is the first to make it official on the Republican side. He is a Hampden Twp. commissioner who touts the fact that the township has not raised its property tax rate in not only the five years he has served on the board but for 33 years before that.

"I will bring the same principles of low taxes, economic growth and high-value services to Harrisburg. I will lead efforts to attract and retain good jobs in our community; lead on government reform; and control spending to protect our taxpayers," he said.

Silcox, who has been working in various staff positions in state government for the past 20 years, now serves as the executive director of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

He has played a supporting role in the passage of several laws including one that allows students with severe allergies to carry EpiPens to school, the National Guard Educational Assistance Program, and a law permitting counties to establish regional booking centers, among others.

As a commissioner, he lists chairing the Veterans Recognition Committee, which hosts the township's Memorial Day Service, and leading the effort to establish a Veterans Park and Memorial, among his accomplishments. He also is president of the Capital Region Council of Governments.